


Static Love

by Clarisse (transnymphtaire)



Series: Advent Calendar 2016 [24]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Marvolo Riddle is Voldemort, Soulmates, flatmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-11 21:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9032408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transnymphtaire/pseuds/Clarisse
Summary: When you meet your soulmate, there's electricity in the air





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to xxxMiragexxx for suggesting that they should be flatmates!
> 
> Unbetaed.

It’s Christmas Eve, and somehow Harry found himself roped into attending a Christmas party instead of quietly celebrating it in his apartment. It’s just as well, because his apartment has no heat, and he has no food, and Fred and George are experts at making him laugh. They’re also experts about getting him to do strange things, like messing up his curls with glow-in-the-dark paint and his beard - which he only has because he can’t afford razors - with maroon paint and glitter. At least he looks festive.

The party has been going for about an hour and Harry is just about to enter the kitchen to get another beer, when another guy is about to exit. They’re about to start the awkward side-step dance when someone from the living room shouts about mistletoe. Harry looks up to see that the damned plant is in fact hanging above their heads. The guy he’s expected to kiss looks quite nice, so he doesn’t really mind from a point of attraction, but he’s definitely not drunk enough, and he’s one of those sappy romantics that saves himself for his soulmate. Not to mention that the guy is intently staring at him, in a way that makes Harry feel anxious. There’s something foreboding in the air, making the space between them static.

Wait… static…

Harry blinks, both because the guy has leant in and kissed him, and because it feels like electricity is sparking along his skin. This random guy that he just met can’t possibly be his soulmate, though it’s hard to mistake the electricity between them. Just as he comes back to his senses, he realises that the guy is gone, and that he never got as much as a name. Fate is cruel.

He keeps an eye out for the guy for the rest of the evening without any success. It’s both the best and the worst Christmas that he has had in awhile.

* * *

There’s a note stuck to Harry’s apartment door when he gets home after the party. An eviction notice. He literally only has three days to move out and find a new place. If he thought fate was cruel before, he does not know what to call this. Okay, his rent has been paid late with a day or so the last few months, and he hasn’t been able to afford heat this month - he’s honestly just waiting for his electricity and water to be turned off - but eviction still seem a bit… much. At least on a three day notice.

Still buzzed after the alcohol he consumed at the party, Harry makes the genius decision to call Luna to bitch about it. His fellow art student is always up for a good conversation about anything, and she’s good at unconventional solutions to things. Which is why he expects tít when she suggests camping at campus, but not when she offers setting him up with two other guys in search of a roommate.

Maybe it’s the alcohol he had, maybe it’s the short eviction notice, maybe just because it’s Luna, but Harry agrees.

* * *

It’s Boxing Day, and Harry is standing outside a nice-looking flat, a pet carrier in one hand, a gym bag in the other, and a rucksack over his shoulder. It’s not everything he own - he borrowed Luna’s car for the day, and it’s waiting with a few boxes of art supplies and school books and other knickknacks - but it’s all he could carry in one go. He has already rung the bell, and is now only waiting for the door to open.

Just as he starts to think that Luna gave him the wrong time, and nobody’s home, the door opens. For a moment, Harry thinks it’s the guy he kissed at the party, but this guy is taller, paler, with more reddish brown eyes, and shorter hair. It does not explain the way the air between them electrifies. Harry was sure he had already met his soulmate in the guy from the party - he can’t have been buzzed enough to imagine it - so why… or… multiple soulmates are not as rare as people want to make it out to be, but Harry had not imagined that he could belong to that category. Not to mention the likeness this guy has to the guy from the party - he’s of half the mind to ask if they’re related.

“You must be Harry,” the guy says. “Marvolo Riddle. Pleased to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Harry gets out, with an awkward smile. He’s really only happy to be able to move in somewhere - he would have moved in basically anywhere with a low enough rent.

“Do come in,” Marvolo steps to the side to let Harry enter. “It’s a good thing the flat allow pets. What’s the cat’s name?”

“Hedwig,” Harry answers with a fond smile. “So where’s the other guy living here? Do any of you have pets?”

“The other guy as you so nicely put it is Tom Gaunt, my cousin,” Marvolo starts answering as he closes the door, and then proceeds to take the gym bag from Harry. “He has a cat named Helena, and I have a rainbow boa named Nagini.”

“Cool.” is all Harry can think of to say. He hopes that the cats will be okay together, but right now he’s slightly more preoccupied with moving in.

* * *

It’s time for dinner by the time Harry has gotten the last thing unpacked. He has yet to meet Tom, but Hedwig and Helena seems to get along, and he got to see Nagini. It might be the coolest snake he’s ever seen, though she was rather large - Marvolo said her length measured to roughly 180 cm! He’s really happy that she doesn’t have any intentions to eat the cats.

There’s a knock on the door to his new bedroom, and Harry looks up to see Marvolo standing in the doorway. He puts down the box of charcoal sticks he were holding - he had been trying to organise his art supplies onto the shelves in the room, instead of keeping them stashed in nooks everywhere as he used to.

“Dinners ready,” Marvolo says. “Tom has made curry.”

Harry raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. Curry has become common, and does not have to do anything with his Indian ancestors. Besides, he does like curry, and for all he knows Luna might have told them. He’s just in a weird mindset because of the sudden move and the soulmate drama.

“I’ll be right there.” he promises, and gives the charcoal sticks one last look. They’ve managed to leave smudges at his fingertips even from inside a box.

* * *

Harry can’t help but freeze in the doorway to the kitchen, both because of the suddenly overwhelming static and because Tom Gaunt is the guy from the Christmas party. He’s not sure what detail he should freak out the most over - that his new flatmates are his soulmates or that his soulmates are cousins with each other. Of course, he doesn’t know how many times removed they might be, but it would be strange to be in a relationship with them. It could be platonic, but the charged electric in the air is that of attraction.

“You looked quite fetching with maroon glitter in your beard,” Tom greets him. “Do sit down. It’s nice to meet you again, under more sober circumstances.

Harry manages to get a stuttered thanks out as he sits down. The only seat left with a plate and a glass is next to Marvolo, and he’s not sure if he’s thankful or not. With Tom in front of him, he can’t help but repeat the kiss in his mind. He swear he hears the air crackle from the electricity, but he refuses to be the first one to mention it.

* * *

Dinner - while delicious - is filled with awkward conversation. He gets to know that Marvolo studies music; his main instruments are the piano and violin. Tom in contrast is a photography student, and it’s his photographs that decorate the flat. He doesn’t get to know how they’re friends with Luna. He doesn’t get to know if they also feel the static in the air between them. He doesn’t get to know anything more than that actually, because the rest of the conversation is them asking questions and Harry answering.

He swears he catches Tom looking at his lips multiple times, and wonders if it’s because of the kiss or because his tongue piercing glints when he speaks. Maybe it’s just his imagination, just as he has decided that Marvolo’s thigh pressing against his must be his imagination.

Harry excuses himself after dinner to lock himself inside his room and scream into his pillow.

* * *

One day living together is really all Harry needs to realise that both Tom and Marvolo are takers, and they seem to be out after everything he has to offer. Somehow they’ve managed to get his life story out of him with only a few questions, and they’ve seen some of his art, and even Hedwig has no qualms about cuddling up to either of them. Harry feels as if his very being has been sucked dry and the only thing that’s left is electricity.

In a spur of inspiration, he takes over the living room with his art. He had started in his bedroom, but it felt too small. He has a canvas in front of him, and paint on some cardboard, and brushes in his hair and behind his ears and between his teeth. The once white canvas is black, and yellow, and white, and it’s electricity outlining a human being, and it’s a human swallowed by electricity.

There’s clicks of a camera in the background, but Harry ignores them until they stop reaching him. He is too focused on his painting to care about what horrible impression he must be making, and he doubts that his flatmates care that much. Marvolo had been playing the violin into the early hours of the morning, and Tom uses the bathroom to develop photos. If Harry gets some paint on the floor, it can’t possibly be the worst thing to happen.

* * *

His painting is done. The rising sun is coming in through the window, but his painting is done. Looking at it, Harry can’t believe that he pulled an all-nighter. Neither Marvolo or Tom tried to coax him away from painting, and for that he’s thankful. Harry gives the painting one last look and collapse onto the sofa. He’s too tired to move.

When he wakes up hours later, he’s in his bedroom, Hedwig asleep next to him and his art supplies back in their right places. Even his easel has been put back in place, but the painting is nowhere to be seen. Harry falls asleep once more.

* * *

When he wakes for real it’s already evening and he can smell dinner being cooked. Harry get out of bed - he’s in need of a shower. On his way to the bathroom he finally find out where his painting is - it’s hanging on one of the walls in the living room. Next to it is a photograph of him from the Christmas party, mid-laugh after some bad pun that George told him. Fred has an arm around his shoulders, and is laughing as well, but Harry is obviously the focus of the picture.

He hurries into the shower, and stay in there longer than might be acceptable.

* * *

“Can we talk?”

It’s the 29th, five days since his kiss with Tom and three days since he moved in. Harry worries his lip as he waits for Tom and Marvolo to answer; they’ve just eaten breakfast. It’s one of the small habits of the household - eat all meals together unless someone is in the zone and should not be disturbed. The perks of living with other artists.

“Of course.” Marvolo answers.

“I hope we haven’t done anything to disturb you.” Tom adds. Harry almost wishes that he could come up with something to complain about, so that he could continue ignoring the subject. He can’t.

“So.. is it just me or,” he starts out awkwardly. “Or is there electricity in the air?”

“Are you asking us both?” Tom questions. Harry worries his lip again as he nods.

“Yeah.” he forces out a verbal answer.

“Well, there’s certainly something.” Marvolo says after a moment of considering silence.

“Electricity is one way to put it.” Tom agrees. Harry is growing frustrated with their lack of confirmation, until he sees their smiles. It hits him suddenly that they know and they have been waiting for him to say it.

“I think the both of you are my soulmates.” he finally states, in one moment of horrible bravery. After the words has left his mouth, he wants nothing more than sink through the floor. Tom and Marvolo both look like the cat that caught the canary.

* * *

Tom and Marvolo starts a game of trying to see who can touch him the most after that. Harry is only happy that they don’t think of being soulmates as an excuse to have sex without emotions; their touching is innocent enough. Tom will cuddle up next to him when they’re watching TV, Marvolo will play with his hair. Small touches that doesn’t have to be more than platonic. Harry thrives on it.

Then New Year’s Eve comes and it’s apparently very important whom he’s going to kiss at midnight. Harry can’t help but feel certain fondness for his idiotic, touchy-feely soulmates

* * *

They’re standing by the window, waiting for the fireworks to start. The TV is on in the background, and a chorus of voices are counting down to the new year. Harry is standing in between Tom and Marvolo, not touching either of them for once.

“3… 2… 1…. 0! Happy New Year!” can be heard from the TV. As they reach zero, Harry gives first Marvolo and then Tom a peck on the cheek.

It’s a new year, and he’s going to spend it together with his soulmates. It’s such a difference from where he was before Christmas. Harry smiles to himself - his new year’s resolution is clear.

He will do the best of what he has, with his new life in a nice flat together with the soulmates that he’s still getting used to. It’s not a bad end of the year at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays, everyone!
> 
> I'll post a second chapter of this tomorrow, instead of writing 25 stories. I hope that's okay.
> 
> Here's the promised poll!  
> https://sv.surveymonkey.com/r/9XYGDLX


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to KarcInobIologIst for wanting Tom interested in Harry's tongue piercing!
> 
> Unbetaed.

The new year is started with Harry shaving off his beard. It’s not symbolic of anything, except maybe that he can afford to buy the razors to do it. Neither of his soulmates rise any complains - while Harry did look quite fetching with a beard, he’s gorgeous without one as well. And it’s not like he can’t regrow it.

After that, the first three first months pass by without much of note happening. When they’re not busy studying - and three students majoring in three different artforms can create quite a mess in one apartment which creates a need of constant cleaning - they’re busy figuring out their relationship dynamics. In all other situations, Harry’s the type of person that rushes in head first, but he’s not the same when it comes to relationships. For one, he doesn’t give out his trust easily, and secondly, soulmates doesn’t necessarily have to mean anything. To make it worse, Tom and Marvolo knows a lot more about him than he knows about them, and he does not know how to get around that. The electricity in the air seem to sap away all his rational thoughts.

That’s probably the only thing that can explain why he in March gets the brilliant idea to play Two truths and one lie, in the middle of the week, with alcohol.

* * *

“I’m really not sure how I agreed to this.” Tom sighs, as he serves the three of them glasses with chocolate liqueur - the only alcoholic beverage all three of them managed to agree on.

“Because I’m great at convincing people.” Harry says, with earns him two badly hidden laughs. It’s understandable, as both Tom and Marvolo are masters at convincing people to do stuff. Harry has ended up on cleaning duty far too many times for it to be fair in any way.

“Because you’re cute when you get pouty.” Marvolo corrects. Harry absolutely does not pout at that.

“Let’s just play already.” he says, and looks pointedly at Marvolo to get him to start.

“Okay, I’ll start then,” Marvolo says, when it starts to get slightly uncomfortable with Harry’s intense staring. “I know how to play bagpipes, I’ve kissed Tom in the past, and I collect pinned butterflies.”

“Must be the bagpipes,” Tom suggests. “I really can’t imagine you playing bagpipes.”

“Wait,” Harry starts, the gears slowly turning in his head. “Does that mean that you two have kissed?”

“You’re supposed to guess the lie.” Marvolo points out.

“I’m not sure which one I want to be the lie,” Harry mumbles. “But I’m gonna guess the pinned butterfly collection.”

“You’re both wrong,” Marvolo answers cheerfully. “And fuck you Tom, I’m amazing at bagpipes.”

Harry empties his glass - they’re doing this with shot glasses for that very reason. It’s a better option than commenting. He’s not sure if he’s disappointed or relieved that Tom and Marvolo hasn’t kissed - he still doesn’t know how closely related they actually are.

“My turn,” Tom decides, after he has refilled his own and Harry’s glasses. “I once lost a tooth after walking into a lamppost, I know how to knit, and I used to wear braces.”

“The braces must be a lie.” Harry decides, after trying to picture Tom with braces. He would love to see pictures of that.

“You have never walked into a lamppost in your life.” Marvolo answers. Tom raises his glass, and empties it. Harry empties his as well.

“Is there any pictures of Tom with braces?” he asks, looking expectantly at Marvolo. He gets a nod and a smile as a response.

“Do I seem like a knitter?” Tom asks as he fills the glasses again. He doesn’t get any answer.

“So… two truths and one lie,” Harry considers for a moment. “I saved Hedwig from the street, my dad’s a famous football player, and I’m afraid of spiders.”

“Everyone’s afraid of spiders.” Tom protests.

“You’re not,” Marvolo points out. “Neither am I. But I think it must be that your father’s famous, since I don’t think you would have been poor under those circumstances.”

“Oh, good logic. That one.” Tom agrees.

“I’m not afraid of spiders.” Harry answers. “And I’m pretty sure I’ve already told you that my dad’s a football player.”

“You didn’t say that he’s famous though.” Marvolo says, but drinks anyway.

The game continues a lot like that until they have run out of liquor. Some of the things that Harry learns are quite incredible - like that Marvolo is afraid of jellyfish, or that Tom can juggle.

Only downside is the hangover they wake up with the next day.

* * *

Drinking games and their revealed truths are not the strangest thing to happen in their household.

Tom has a photography project with an incoming deadline, and for some reason he has chosen to obsess over Harry’s tongue piercing. Harry seriously doubts that it’s in any way relevant to the actual project, but he says nothing and let Tom go ahead and photograph. After all, he did paint Tom and Marvolo for an art project of his own a few weeks ago, which did turn out pretty amazing. Not that his two subjects enjoyed getting paint in their hair and over their clothes - Harry did make sure that all the paint would wash out though.

“Did you actually make lollipops?” Harry asks, looking at the thin almost clear lollipops with a purple tint. There’s whole lavender flowers and a few rose petals in them. There’s even some pieces of edible gold.

“Yes, because this needs to be perfect,” Tom stresses the last word. “Now pick one, and lick it slowly so that I can capture it. No, look more towards the right. Tilt your head a bit. Still!”

Harry tries his best to follow the instructions. He can’t actually complain about it being ridiculous, because he knows the end results will be amazing. It’s also a plus that the lollipops taste great.

“Okay,” Tom finally says three lollipops later. “That’s enough. Now, if you would…”

Harry gives a soft sigh, which is a lot fonder than he would have expected. It’s going to be a long day, but he loves seeing Tom in the zone.

* * *

It’s the beginning of June, and the middle of the night, and Harry is baking cookies. It’s a habit he has gotten from his mum - when he’s stressed or can’t sleep, he bakes. Usually when he bakes, he just do simple chocolate chip ones, but this time he’s making caramel shortbread. He tries to tell himself that it’s just a coincidence that it’s both his soulmates' favourite cookie - the two have a weakness for the chocolate and caramel combination. It doesn’t really work.

He doesn’t really need an excuse anyway. Since March, their relationship has processed into… well, something. There’s not any strong love like from the stories yet, but he does hold strong affection for both Tom and Marvolo. It’s hard not to - the both of them are rather unique in their own ways, and fairly private people, but when you get to know them… if anything, he at least knows why Luna hangs out with them.

Piano music is filling the room out of nowhere, and Harry startles. He leaves the kitchen, his front covered in flour and a smudge of chocolate barely visible against his dark skin, to see where the music is coming from. He does not have to do more than enter the living room to see Marvolo sitting by the piano.

“Can’t sleep?” Harry asks. Marvolo doesn’t stop playing as he looks up.

“Couldn’t stop thinking,” Marvolo answers. “What about you?”

“Same, I guess.”

They don’t say anything more after that. Marvolo plays music as Harry bakes, and afterwards they eat the cookies together while watching TV on low volume. Tom wakes up and joins them after a while, only slightly grumpy about missing out.

All in all, it’s one of the nicest moments they’ve had together. Harry thinks that maybe his affection is starting to grow into love.

* * *

Christmas sneaks up on them out of nowhere. Harry has no idea what he can possibly give his flatmates as gifts, and instead takes over the kitchen to bake Christmas cookies. He does get some help, but mostly he only gets company in form of Tom taking photos or Marvolo stealing cookie dough. It’s very domestic in a strange way, but Harry wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world.

It’s much better than where he was last Christmas.

They haven’t quite figured out their relationship in the year that has gone by, but they’re happy together. There’s kisses exchanged, and nights staying up cuddling, and occasionally they’ll share a bed, but for most of the time they just live together. There’s no need to stress anything when they’re gonna spend the rest of their lives together.

Harry thinks, if only fleetingly, that everything might be perfect for the moment, and really - what else do you need during Christmas?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I actually did this, without missing a single day. Like, wow.
> 
> This is not how I intended to end this, but today has just been awful. I was forced to interact with my dad, and my grandfather had to get hospitalised, and there's a storm coming. It's like 2:15 am right now, and I just wanted to get something out.
> 
> Good thing that this is included in the poll, right? So if you want more of this or any other works, you should go and vote!  
> https://sv.surveymonkey.com/r/9XYGDLX


End file.
